Mt. Jade Multi-Peak Trail (Part One)

Hello everyone, this is the second week I introduce Yushan National Park! Today, I would like to introduce Mt. Jade Multi-Peak Trail.

Mt. Jade Peaks Trail which starts from the Tataka Trailhead located Tataka saddle.

Tataka Trailhead(塔塔加登山口), an alpine watershed landscapes, is approximately 2610 meters at above sea. Standing on Tataka saddle, we can overlook Mt. Jade from the east, gazing afar Mt. Ali from the west. mountain watershed landscapes

After spending about thirty to forty minutes to walk to Menglu Gazebo(孟祿亭) from Tataka Trail Entrance. Menglu Gazebo, the junction of temperate forests and boreal forest, is really a wonderful terrace where climbers can stop to take a little break and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

(Mt. Jade North Peak above; Mt. Jade East Peak below)

The top five highest mountain in Taiwan are all up to 3800 meters altitudes above and Mt. Jade Multi-Peak including four (except for Mt. Jade West Peak). And the other one is Mt. Xue(雪山) which is at about 3886 meters above sea level.

 Mt. Jade Front Peak(玉山前峰)

There are not too much hinterland on the top of Mt. Jade Front Peak. Steep and lean slopes covered with a lot of Yushan Nitida (玉山箭竹). On the southern mountain slope, there is full white wood forest landscape.

I’m sorry that today I can only make a really really simple introduction. In the coming weeks I will do a more thorough introduction. Thank for your reading and comments.

Beautiful Sunset on the North Peak

The First Taiwan Wonder - Yushan National Park

Hello everyone! From this week on, I will start a new series introduction to Yushan National Park, and Yandmingshan National Park temporarily comes to an end.

(Mt. Jade Main Peak)

Mt. Jade, the highest mountain in Taiwan, is a symbol of the beauty of Taiwan. Mounting up Mt. Jade is an important goal and achievement that every Taiwanese wants to accomplish in their lifetime, and I am no exception.

There are a lot of alpine flower plants, defying the harsh alpine environments, colorful swaying in the street. Such as Spruce(雲杉)、Hemlock(鐵杉)、Fir(冷杉)、Yushan juniper(玉山圓柏)、Yushan Rhododendron(玉山杜鵑), and so on. We can see a variety of weather, exclusive plants, animals in Mt. Jade since its elevation varies from 300 to 3952 meters above sea level.

Yushan juniper defying cold erected on the hillside.

Yushan Rhododendron(玉山杜鵑)

There are many different habitats offering various birds a wonderful place to live in this area. If you are a person who love bird watching very much, you must come and take a look at Yushan National Park.

I only make a simple introduction to this beautiful park, and I will introduce in more detail in the next following weeks.

This is the video which Yushan participates in the vote of the New 7 Wonders.

Mt. Datun Multi-Peak

Hello everyone! This is the last week introduce Yangmingshan National Park. I would like to introduce Mt. Datun Multi-Peak trail and share some of my experience when I went to Mt. Datun this winter vacation. This Chinese Year, after College Entrance Examination, I went mountain climbing with my best junior high school classmates to relax our tight mood. This is our climbing route:

Jhuzihhu竹子湖→

Bailaka saddle trailhead百拉卡鞍部步道入口→

Bailaka Highway Pedestrian Trail百拉卡公路人行步道→

Erziping visitor center二子坪遊客中心→

Erziping Trail二子坪蝴蝶步道→

Erziping 二子坪→

Datunping大屯坪→

Mt. Datun south peak大屯山南峰(957m)→

Mt. Datun west peak大屯山西峰(982m)→

Mt. Miantian Trailhead 面天山登山口→

Miantianping面天坪(790m)

Mt. Miantian面天山→

Saddle鞍部→

Mt. Xiangtian向天山→

Xiangtian Pond向天池→

Qingtian Temple trailhead清天宮登山口(465m) 

Erziping 二子坪

(That was a rainy, cold, and foggy day...)

Erziping 二子坪

We started our journey at 7 o’clock. That was a rainy and foggy day, and the roads are very wet and slimy that we can hardly walk. All along the trail covered with miscanthus(芒草), and the ground are all mud and water. 

←Flowers above are frost

←Beautiful spider web was covered with dew above

Besides, the fog was very thick. It’s really difficult for us to see where the road ahead. As long as one of us was not cautious, he might slip legs in the air. It’s usually just taken ten minutes away but that we walked more than two hours. 

Mt. Miantian(面天山) and Mt. Xiangtian(向天山)

beautiful sea of clouds(on the top of Mt. Datun west peak)

Mt. Datun south peak(on the top of Mt. Datun west peak)








After going tough a difficult process, we finally climbed to the top of the mountain. Looking ahead is the most beautiful sea of clouds that I have ever see! All this hard work is worth! That day we climbed a total of four mountain. Eight hours of adventure was one of my wonderful memories in winter vacation after finishing College Entrance Exam.

This video is about the story of Datun volcano group! 

The Beauty of the Highest Peak in Taipei (2)

Hello, everyone! 

This week I would like to introduce the highest mountain in the Yangmingshan National Park. When I was an elementary school student, one of my favorite leisure activities is go hiking with my mother. Because I lived in Beitou district, where is very near to Yangmingshan National Park. It is very easy for me to approach Mother Nature. There are a lot of trails in the park; however, I love Mt. Qixing Multi-Peak Trail the most! 

Since Mt. Qixing is the highest mountain in the Taipei Basin, we can overlook the whole Taipei Basin when we stand on the top peak at about one thousand and one hundred twenty meters above sea level.

If it is sunny, we can even see Taipei 101! Besides,there are a lot of plants we can see on this trails. For instant, if we climb up from Lengshuikeng(冷水坑), we will pass Menghuan Pond(夢幻湖), which is really famous for one rare type of water fern - the Taiwan isoetes(臺灣水韭).

This is a kind of conservation of plants in Taiwan - the Taiwan isoetes

We can see a lot of beautiful miscanthus flowers(芒花) in autumn.

Charming azaleas in spring.






 If you want to challege these two peaks, here is a trail example.

Through this simple introduction, hope you can challenge the first peak in Taipei and see how fascinating Mt. Qixing is.
Mt. Qixing(This is video!)

The Beauty of Yangmingshan National Park (1)

Today,I would like to introduce Yangmingshan National Park.

Yangmingshan National Park as we know it today covers mountainous areas in many districts in the Taipei City and New Taipei City such as Shilin,Beitou,Tamsui,Jinshan and so on.The park is famous for its exclusive volcanic geology and magnificent sights. 

←  This is Xiaoyoukeng(小油坑),and the peak is             Mt.Qixing Main Peak

Yangmingshan is not only a wonderful place for birds but also a great home to a huge number of butterflies. 

 ← Megalaima oorti(Barbet) 

As you stroll along forest pathways,please remember to keep your eyes open for lovely birds such as Barbet and Formosan Blue Magpie. 

←  Formosan Blue Magpie 

Yangmingshan's popular hot springs can be divided into three types according to their chemical composition:Acid sulfate (white sulfur) hot springs,Acid sulfate chloride (green sulfur) hot springs,and Neutral iron-bearing hot springs.

← Sulfur

It's easy to reach from Taipei, just one hour by bus.Hope you can explore Yangmingshan National Park by yourself!

Xiaoyoukeng(小油坑) (This is video)